An executive assistant is the administrative assistant or secretary tasked with high-level support for one or more top executives. These assistants may be responsible for more important jobs than regular clerical staff and lower-ranked administrative assistants, such as research and reports, and they may schedule meetings for company executives. They may also supervise the lower-ranked assistants.

Average Salary

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the 952,030 executive assistants working nationwide as of May 2011 earned an average annual wage of $48,120, or $23.13 an hour. The best-paid 10 percent could earn $71,020 or more, the equivalent of $34.14 an hour, while the lowest-paid 10 percent earned $30,320 or less, the equivalent of $14.58 an hour.

Most Common Industries

Executive assistants were most often found in local government and higher education, according to the BLS, with these industries employing 72,090 and 70,570 workers, respectively. Executive assistants in local government averaged $48,440, or $23.29 an hour, while those at colleges and universities averaged $46,330, or $22.28 an hour. The third-largest employer of these assistants was state government, with 50,020 people averaging $43,950, or $21.13 an hour.

Best-Paying Industries

Securities and commodities exchanges were where executive assistants could find the best wages, according to the BLS, with the average salary reaching $65,310, or $31.40 an hour. The U.S. Postal Service was the second-best paying option at $63,210, or $30.39 an hour, on average. Computer equipment manufacturing ranked third, with an average wage of $60,390, or $29.03 an hour.

Geographic Breakdown

California was home to the most executive secretaries and assistants, with 139,790 working there at an average of $52,420, or $25.20 an hour. New York, however, was the best-paying state. The 82,970 assistants working there -- the second-largest number for a state -- earned an average salary of $60,310, or $29 an hour. The New York City metro region was both the largest and best-paying metro area for executive assistants, with 59,020 earning an average of $63,180, or $30.37 an hour.

About the Author

Eric Strauss spent 12 years as a newspaper copy editor, eventually serving as a deputy business editor at "The Star-Ledger" in New Jersey before transitioning into academic communications. His byline has appeared in several newspapers and websites. Strauss holds a B.A. in creative writing/professional writing and recently earned an M.A. in English literature.

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